Ta’ang
SECTION: International Competition 2017
SCREENINGS
Friday, 29.09., 8.30 p.m., kommkino
SYNOPSIS
The TA’ANG, a Burmese ethnic minority, are caught between a civil war and the Chinese border. Since early 2015, heavy fights have forced thousands of children, women and older people on an exodus across the border, into China.
“Wang Bing accompanies a few of these communities thrown together by fate, at once modern and almost mythical and archaic. They wander the remote mountains with few possessions, camp in makeshift compounds and can sometimes earn a few yuan during the sugarcane harvest. Or they move on to the next place – which is never any better. Sometimes, around the evening campfire, they talk about what they’ve experienced – until someone says that it’d be better not to talk at all, it’s too painful. Wang Bing’s film doesn’t try to analyse this forgotten war, but rather shows great sensitivity in bringing us closer to a people in need forgotten by the world. By the end, we feel huge respect for them – if only for the dignity with which they erect their shacks for yet another night for themselves and their children, reassuring their own mothers via mobile phone that everything’s OK: they have each other, they’re thus not afraid.” (Berlinale 2016, Forum)
WANG BING
Wang Bing was born in 1967 in the Province of Shanxi in China. He is one of the greatest chinese documentary producers. His first film, the nine hours epos West of the Tracks was a big success in the international film scene and received very good critiques. West of the Tracks is also said to be one of the best chinese movies. Ta’ang had its premiere in 2016 at the Berlinale. His latest Film, Mrs Fang, won the Golden Leopard at the Locarno Film Festival.
FILMOGRAPHY
West of the Tracks (2002), Three Sisters (2012), ‘Til Madness Do Us Part (2013), Ta’ang (2016), 15 Hours (2017), Mrs. Fang (2917)
WEBSITE
https://www.chineseshadows.com/ta-ang
